Spinning-top.



- 11.1. OBRIEN.

SPINNING TOP.

APPLIOATIOH 1ILED my 11, 1911.

Patented May 14, 1912.

ARTHUR P. OBRIEN, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

SPINNING-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Application filed May 11, 1911. Serial No. 626,642.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR P. OBRIEN, citizenof the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county ofVVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Spinning-Tops; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it an pertains to make and usethe same.

This invent-ion has for its object to provide a spinning top adaptedsolely for amusement of youths and adults, and consists in the featuresof construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention: Figure -1- is aview partly in elevation and partly in central vertical section of aspinning top constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. -2 is adetail perspective view of the manually actuated member which impartsmotion to the spinning tops. Fig. -3 is a collective view in perspectiveof the several spinning tops actuated by said manually operated member.

.My invention may be aptly termed a multiple spinning top. It consistsof the handle A upon which the hub B of a disk C is rotatably mounted inany suitable manner, the axis of rotation being coincident wit-h thelongitudinal axis of said handle A. In the instance illustrated the saiddisk C and its hub B is rotatably mounted on said handle A by means ofthe screw D passing centrally through said hub B and entering a block Eof metal set in the lower end of said handle A. 011 said hub B a cord Fequipped at one end with a button G is adapted to be wound and by therapid unwinding of said cord F from said hub the latter and the disk Care rotated at high speed in the usual and well-known manner. In thelower face of said disk 0 is an annular beveled groove H in which theperipheral edge portions of a plurality of nested conical spinning topsI, J, K, L and M are received, the said tops being consecutively ofsmaller diameter and depth and each fitting snugly within the nextlarger one. When so nested, as shown in Fig. -l, the peripheral edgeportions of all of said spinning tops are disposed in contact with thebeveled face of said annular groove H so that by pressing the disk 0down upon the nested spinning tops as the latter are supported upon thefloor or other supporting surface and then rotating said disk by rapidlyunwinding said cord F all of said spinning tops will be rotated at highspeed. As soon as the cord F has been entirely unwound or just precedingthe unwinding thereof the said disk C is raised out of contact with theperipheral edge portions of said nested tops whereupon all of the latterwill separate and spin independently of each other.

As shown in Fig. l the several tops are rendered gradually more shallow,the one of largest diameter being of greatest depth and bevel and eachsucceeding smaller top of less depth and bevel so that the apeXesthereof are separated from each other by small air spaces. By this meansthe respective tops are caused to separate where as if they are all ofthe same conicality they will have a tendency to remain nested whilespinning. The said air spaces may also be provided in any otherconvenient manner with the same result.

Aside from the novel effect produced by spinning a multiplicity of topssimulta neously the device is capable of being used as a game, as forexample, by drawing circles on a floor and awarding points formaintaining all of the tops spinning within a given area. In practice ithas been found that the rotation of the disk C at different speedscauses the tops to scatter over a greater or less area in accordancewith the speed of rotation imparted thereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality ofinter-fitting members each adapted to spin independently of the others,and a single manually rotatable memberadapted to engage all of saidinterfitting members to impart rapid rotary movement theretosimultaneously to cause the same to spin.

2. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of conicalinterfitting members varying in depth and diameter and each adapted tospin independently of the others, and a single manually rotatable memberadapted to engage all peripheral edges of all of said conical members toimpart rapid rotary movement thereto simultaneously to cause the same tospin.

8. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of interfittingmembers each adapted to spin independently of the others, and a memberfor simultaneously imparting rapid rotary movement to all of saidfirst-named members, comprising achandle, a disk revolubly mountedthereon and adapted to be rapidly rotated relatively thereto, one faceof said disk adapted to be maintained in contact With the peripheraledges of all of said interfitting members when nested to simultaneouslyrotate all of the latter.

at. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of conicalinterfitting members varying in dept-h and diameter and each adapted tospin independently of the others, and a member for simultaneouslyimparting rapid rotary movement to all of said first-named members,comprising a handle, a disk revolubly mounted thereon and adapted to berapidly rotated relatively thereto, one face of said disk adapted to bemaintained in contact with the peripheral edges of all of saidinterfitting members When nested to simultaneously rotate all of thelatter.

5. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of interfittingmembers each adapted to spin independently of the others, and a memberfor simultaneously imparting rapid rotary movement to all of saidfirst-named members comprising a handle, a disk revolubly mountedthereon and adapted to be rapidly rotated relatively thereto, one faceof said disk adapted to be maintained in contact with said interfittingmembers when nested to simultaneously rotate all of the latter, saidface of said disk provided with an annular groove in which the edgeportion of the largest-of said members is adapted to be received andengaged to maintain the same concentric with said disk during rotationof the latter.

6. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of membersadapted to be nested and each adapted to spin independently of all theothers, and a member for simultaneously imparting rotary movement to allof said members to cause the same to spin, said last-named membercomprising a handle, a disk rotatably mounted thereon and adapted torapidly rot-ate relatively thereto while maintained in surface contactwith at least one of said first-named members, and means on said diskfor maintaining said first-named members centered relatively theretowhile engaged therewith.

7. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of membersadapted to be nested and each adapted to spin independently of all theothers, and a member for simultaneously imparting rotary movement to allof said members to cause the same to spin, said last-named membercomprising a handle, a disk rotatably mounted thereon and adapted torapidly rotate relatively thereto while maintained in surface contactwith at least one of said first-named members, and an annular shoulderon said disk, corresponding in inner diameter substantially with atleast one of said firstnamed members and adapted to engage theperipheral edge portion of the latter to maintain the same centeredrelatively to said disk while engaged therewith.

8. A spinning top comprising in combination, a plurality of separablemembers each adapted to spin independently of the other and eachsuccessively smaller than the others, said members adapted to be nested,there being air spaces between opposing faces of said members whennested, and a single member adapted to engage all of said interfittingmembers when nested and adapted to be rapidly rotated while inengagement therewith to simultaneously impart rapid rotary movement toall of said members to cause the same to spin.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR l7. OBRIEN.

lVitnesses JOHN ALLEN, CEonLm LINKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

